Another year has gone by without the major animal replica companies designing cryptids.

Some of the first Schleich, Papo and other high-quality animal models for 2009 have been announced, and while they are intriguing, none venture into the cryptozoological realm.

What are some interesting new items, anyway, for the cryptozoocollectors?

Of course, the following could be a good replica (Tylosaurus) to demonstrate the look of a classic Sea Serpent, if you are in the reptilian camp.

The above is helpful to view in contrast to the replica of a basking shark, the actual specimens of which are often responsible for explaining mystery beachings of “sea monsters”:

Or how about the very bizarre looking pelican eel?

Papo has a nice new Mammoth.

A Thunderbird? No, but it’s a new model of a condor.

New and rare, a pangolin.

A living fossil, the horseshoe crab.

More diversity among the plains herds: There’s a new gnu…from Schleich, of an adult and a calf. While the image of the baby makes it look huge, they are correctly scaled.

It is February 1st, and your continued contributions to the Save The Museum fund (we are now running two months behind in the mortgage due to the IRS bill) are still needed, very much welcome, and can be delivered via PayPal to

About Loren ColemanLoren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.

about 10 years ago Safari ltd did make a few Cryptos under the name of Shadowbox; a bigfoot & loch ness, along with a unicorn, dragon and alien gray.
Contact Safari they are usually very open about new lines. A Crypto line may spark some interest to them.

That’s interesting, because in Japan cryptid toys are still going fairly strong. Having a two year old daughter, I make it to toy shops quite often (any excuse for me, a grown man, to look at toys 🙂 ). Among some of the things I’ve seen recently are plastic miniatures of various extinct or supposedly extinct animals, wooden models of animals such as the mammoth and dodo, plush stuffed plesiosaur toys, and my favorite the remote controlled Nessie. Not too long ago, there was a line of plastic miniatures of extinct Japanese animals such as the Honshu wolf (one of which was given to me by Loren, bless him), the Japanese sea lion, Japanese otter, and others, but I think this line may have been discontinued (although you might be able to find them on eBay). There also used to be a whole line of plastic UMA (Unidentified Mystery Animal, as cryptids are often referred to in Japan) toys, but since I haven’t seen them in awhile they may also be out of production too. But there are still a pretty good collection of cryptid goods over here.

What is the chance that some could donate some of their replicas of crypto-creatures (maybe duplicates, if they have them, or not) to the I. C. Museum that you, Loren, could then auction off to raise money for the museum? It is just an idea posed in a question.

However, I know and trust most people rarely have more than one cryptid replica for themselves, let alone for the Museum. If they do have an extra, I would be much more likely to recommend that it be given to an up-and-coming youthful “cryptozoologist-in-training.”

Most of the donations of replicas sent here (ICM, PO Box 360, Portland, ME 04112) are so unique and one-of-a-kind that they are retained, naturally, for the museum collection.

Besides, after the expenses of the shipping of such items to Maine and the buyer, the percentage taken out by eBay, PayPal and the IRS, and the eventual small amount to be obtained for a $3.99 or $5.99 replica, it really is not worth the effort.

In the end, generous folks who just sent along $5, $10, $25, or more to LColeman@maine.rr.com are directing their funds and energies in the fastest, easiest way to help out.